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Using brain scans to understand depression

Researchers look for brain changes associated with depression in Parkinson’s that could guide future treatment research.

Testing a treatment or activity · Study reference: NCT06402955

Plain-language introduction written with AI from the registry; not independently checked by a clinician. Read the original details below ↓

This registry record was last updated over six months ago, or its update date is missing. Recruitment may have changed. Confirm with the team before making plans.

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Looking for volunteers

Start (reported actual date)
2024-09-01
Main measurements finished (planned)
2029-01-01
Study finished (planned)
2029-12-01

Planned dates can move. A study finishing does not tell us when a paper will be published.

No results summary has been confirmed in the registry records we imported. See connected papers below; we keep checking after recruitment ends.

Changes we have recorded
  • 2026-10-11 — recruiting

These are dates we observed a change, not necessarily the dates it happened.

Papers connected to this study

No connected paper has been found yet. The tracker checks the growing library for study identifiers and registry-linked publications.

Who can join?

Ages 40 years to 80 years · Also accepts healthy volunteers

These are starting points, not the full rules. The research team can tell you whether the study is right for your situation.

Read all the rules for taking part

Sex eligibility reported by registry: all

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age 40-80. 2. For women of reproductive potential, a negative pregnancy test at screening and scanning 3. For PD patients, clinical diagnosis of PD, able to consent and tolerate PET procedures 4. For PD depression patients - at least moderate symptom severity as determined by at least 15 on the MADRS, which has shown maximum discrimination between depressed and non-depressed PD patients. 5. For dPD patients undergoing ketamine, abstinence from drugs of abuse, other than alcohol, cannabis, nicotine and caffeine for the duration of the study. Patients with substance use disorders as defined by the DSM-5 will be excluded. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Dementia (Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score \<21) 2. A significant primary DSM-5 psychiatric disorder except for MDD 3. A history of or current significant medical (e.g. cardiovascular, renal), or neurological (e.g. cerebrovascular, seizure, traumatic brain injury) illness other than PD that is unstable and significantly increase their risk and/or might affect the study objectives, as determined by study physicians. 4. Prior radiation exposure for research purposes within such that participation in this study would place them over FDA limits for annual radiation exposure 5. Medications affecting SV2A availability (e.g. levetiracetam) 6. For dPD patients receiving ketamine, uncontrolled hypertension, defined as average blood pressure greater than or equal to 140 mmHg or an average diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 90 mmHg among those patients who have hypertension. 7. Contraindications to MRI. 8. For patients undergoing arterial sampling for the PET scan: Iodine allergy, bleeding disorder and/or use of blood thinning medication 9. Inability to provide written informed consent according to the Yale Human Investigation Committee (HIC) guidelines in English.
Full study name & original research details

Official study title

Identifying the Neural Basis of Depression in Parkinson's Disease

Short title used by the registry

Imaging Depression in Parkinson's Disease

Original description

The goal of this observational study is to identify targetable neural substrates of depression in Parkinson's Disease for the first time in people with Parkinson's between the ages of 40 and 80, who are experiencing symptoms of depression.

Further description from the registry

This study will compare people with Parkinson's Disease and depression to individuals with Parkinson's Disease without Major Depressive Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder with no Parkinson's, and Healthy Controls. Up to 30 participants will be recruited and enrolled for each of these 4 groups. Participants will be asked to complete one PET and one MRI scan along with study assessments. Once screening and consent is completed, participants will be scheduled for PET and MRI scans. The total duration for participants in this study is 7 hours, including the screening visit and then one additional visit for the scans. There will also be a small subset (opt-in) who will receive a single dose of ketamine to determine the ability of ketamine to target these mechanisms and initiate an associated antidepressant response. If the participant is opting into the ketamine arm, the investigators will ask them to come in for one single-dose of ketamine and complete another PET and MRI scan post-ketamine treatment. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1) Will the Parkinson's depression group exhibit a distinct pattern of synaptic deficits compared to other groups? 2) Will there be differences in functional connectivity across groups? 3) Are there associations between synaptic density and functional connectivity across groups? 4) Will ketamine increase synaptic density in PD-affected and mood-related circuitry, and will that be associated with an antidepressant response?

Conditions reported: Parkinson's Disease; Major Depressive Disorder

Registry records for this study

Records are joined using registration identifiers. Titles alone do not establish that two studies are the same.

Study type
Interventional
Interventions
11C-UCB-J; ketamine hydrochloride
Phases
PHASE2
Sponsor
Yale University
Start date reported by registry
2024-09-01 (actual)

Registry updated: 2026-03-10 · Status last verified by the registry submitter: 2026-03

Registry records retrieved 2026-10-13 (UTC). Individual records may have older updates. Recruitment and eligibility must be confirmed with the study team.

Contact the research team

Public study contacts supplied to the registry. Ask whether recruitment is still open and what participation involves.

Sophie Holmes · 2036854066 · sophie.holmes@yale.edu

Libby DiDomizio · 2039476313 · libby.didomizio@yale.edu

Study locations

Site status can differ from overall study status. “Status not reported” means local availability needs confirmation. Remote participation and travel arrangements must be checked with the team.

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Recruiting

Sophie Holmes, PhD · 203-685-4066 · sophie.holmes@yale.edu

The original descriptions and participation rules come from the registry. Participation is voluntary and does not guarantee benefit.